Rain God's Veils
by EverlastingBliss
Summary: We are opposites, Sakura and I. She is spring, I am winter. She is day, I am night. We cannot co-exist. If she is the sun that brings smiles upon Naruto's face, then I am the pitiful moon that steals sparks from the sun. Always hidden, always forgotten.
1. Lavender

* * *

_Lavender_

* * *

The girl sighed heavily as she broke a daisy off of its stem. Ever since she started high school, she had been attracted to a boy in her class.

Uzumaki Naruto.

His bright blonde hair, his piercing blue eyes, and above all, his determination and courage, appealed to her, a girl ignored by her father in favour of her younger sister.

She could never tell him.

_I love you._

Why can't she just tell him?

Three little words.

And thus, the pain in her heart increased.

Sitting on her swing, she rocked gently back and forth as she pulled off the petals one by one. The wind gently carried the fallen petals away as she chanted, absentmindedly.

"He loves me," she whispered, pulling off another petal slowly. "He loves me not."

Her movements became faster and faster as her words mingled together. "He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me…"

A last petal remained in her hands.

"He loves me not."

Tears streamed down her face as she clenched the remaining foliage.

_Why?_

_Why every time? _

It has always been the same results over and over, and today is no exception.

It will be another awful day in school.

She thought of the sideway stares, the pointed fingers, the giggles as she walked past, and shuddered.

Finding no solace in the prestigious school, full of students from upper-class families, she often turned to books for condolence.

As she wiped away her tears, she began quoting a passage from her favourite book, swinging higher and higher. The branch on which the swing was hung groaned, as if in accordance to the pain in her own heart.

"The God of Rain is responsible for the colours of the sky," she began in a soft voice. "He chooses from his collection of different-coloured silks to strew across his domain, influencing our moods."

"Among them, four are his favourites, which is why we see them so frequently: a scarlet veil to border the setting sun, for joy."

"A brilliant green to adorn the Arctic nights, for peace. A soft yellow to brighten the evening, for hope, and a luminous blue that we see every day, for serenity."

Her voice slightly shook as she continued.

"Every night, when the world is asleep, the god carefully takes them down and washes them, mends them, and arranges new patterns with wisps of clouds. They are his treasure, his family."

"'You will always belong here,' he would say. 'Among the stars, with me.'"

"The veils respond to their creator warmly, exhibiting their most beautiful colours whenever they are chosen."

"However, not all of them are happy," she looked down. "One, a pale lavender, is always forgotten and lies in a corner, uncared for and saturated with dust. 'You look too similar to blue, too dissonant with scarlet,' the god said one day, when he finally noticed the miserable piece of cloth in the corner. 'I do not know what to do with you. It would be better if you do not exist, for you clearly do not belong here.'"

With this, the girl pushed herself off of the swing, which is still in motion, landed steadily on her feet, and trekked through the field of wildflowers towards her family mansion.

"With that, the veil was tossed into Heaven's fire, forever gone."

Picking up her backpack, the girl looked up at the deep blue sky.

"My name is Hyuuga Hinata," she said forlornly. "Like that veil, I, too, do not belong here."

"I am not wanted. He is too good for me. Someone as beautiful, as perfect as him, should deserve someone better."

"Like Sakura."

* * *

Next Chapter – Scarlet

A/N: Ehhh?? Hinata, angst?? I hope that is ok. Suggestions for pairings are welcomed, and they_** will**_ affect the plot.

Later.


	2. Scarlet

A/N: Summer school is over!! XD Thank you, dear reviewers.

Here I would like to clarify that any preference for pairings and any feelings towards certain characters are not my own opinions, but merely the views of the characters that are expressing them. For example, if I made a character hate Sakura doesn't mean that I hate Sakura. Thanks for understanding.

* * *

_Scarlet_

* * *

"_The colour of Scarlet resides between orange and red. It is a complicated colour, capable of changing in both directions and becoming either redder or more orange. It is not a colour that can be trusted. Yet, it is loved by the Rain god for its unpredictability."_

_Rain God's Veils__, the novel._

* * *

The only high school in the city of Konoha is sponsored by the Sharingan Corporation, owned by the renowned Uchiha family. Therefore, children with the last name "Uchiha," or even names that are similar in pronunciation, are always treated like gods by the school staff.

And by the students.

"They are hot and rich," Hinata's best and only friend, Karin, often told her as she examined her orange-red hair in a nearby mirror,_ again_. "The very epitome of dark beauty."

Thus, the Hyuuga, sworn rivals of Uchiha in Japan's economy, are often ignored in school.

At the very least, they ignored Hinata.

Her cousin, Neji, got along fine with his looks and striking demeanour. Besides, he is used to being ignored.

Hinata sighed as she thought of her cousin, who pretends that she did not exist. She had given up trying to say "hi" to him a long time ago.

Absentmindedly, she smoothed her uniform as the bus continued to rumble steadily down the cement road. The skirt of the uniform was dark red and clashes badly with her purple hair.

After several attempts, she had finally persuaded Taka, her family's butler, not to drive her to school. She is not one that would like to be noticed, especially not in a grand white limousine.

Besides, they are no match for the charisma of the Uchiha's vehicle, painted a red so dark that it is almost black.

The bus rumbled to a stop in the "drop-off" lane of Konoha High.

The school's walls were painted white, the roof dark red. A two-storey building, it consists of much advanced technology, including automatic doors and computer controlled food stands.

Hinata waited patiently until most of the people got off the bus. Then, she stepped towards the door and proceeded to carefully dismount the steps into the cool morning air, already disturbed by the collecting number of students in front of the school.

A sudden push on her back made her squeak as she fell forward, scattering her books across the cement floor.

Hardly noticing the predicament her books are in, as people stepped carelessly over them, Hinata shifted her weight and examined her knee.

An ugly scrape greeted her. _Third one this week,_ she thought dully, already knowing what had happened.

"Oh sorry," a bored-sounding voice came from behind her. "Didn't see you."

Hinata didn't bother to speak as Hori Shizuye walked past her, smirking as she stepped onto Hinata's books.

Making sure that her hair covered her face from the giggling groups of girls that followed Shizuye, Hinata slowly stood up and began retrieving her books.

_I can't cry,_ she thought. _At least not in front of them._

As she reached for her biology textbook, a hand reached out and snatched it before she could. Startled, she looked up.

Uzumaki Naruto grinned down at her, holding out her book gingerly as if it was a butterfly.

"Hey," he tried to greet her, but instead fell forward, dragged down by the book which is heavier than he had expected.

_Thump._

Trying to suppress the furious blush creeping up her cheeks, Hinata, used to the weight of the book, reached over and retrieved it easily from the ground.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Scratching the back of his head, Naruto picked himself up and dusted his uniform.

"Guess biology is not for me," he said dully, more to himself than Hinata. "Memorizing that entire book? No way."

Then, he realized that the girl with the strange white eyes is still standing in front of him, her face red.

"Eh?" he placed a hand on her forehead gently. "Do you have a fever? Do you need to go home?"

To his surprise, the girl let out a small scream, pushing his hand away hastily.

"Uh--" he began. _Poor girl,_ he thought. _She must be really sick._

Horrified by what she had just done, Hinata bowed. "I am really sorry!!" she panicked. "I- I am not used to people being so close and--" She stopped abruptly as Naruto held up a hand.

"Whoa there," he said, bewildered. "What are you being sorry for? By the way, what is your name? I have never noticed you before."

"Oh," Hinata said quietly, letting the fact sink in.

So he never noticed her?

"Hyuuga Hinata."

Naruto nodded as he flashed a brilliant smile. "I am Uzumaki Naruto."

As if she doesn't know.

His expression changed abruptly as his smile vanished, taking her by surprise. "I saw what _she_ did," Naruto told Hinata furiously, referring to Shizuye. His normally cheerful blue eyes were hard. "Be careful."

Hinata hugged her books tightly to her chest, rattled by this near-stranger's concern.

"Naruto-kun?" she managed to squeak out. "I—"

"Sorry Hinata," Naruto cut in, eyes distracted by a figure near the front gates.

"I'll catch you later, ok?" he said, turning to leave. "I need to talk to Sakura-chan."

"Of-of course," she replied sadly, watching him turn to leave.

Hinata stood there, forlornly, as Naruto walked up to a pretty girl with pink hair. She observed the way his face seemed to light up as he asked Sakura something, and how disappointment adorned his face as Sakura smacked him on the head, obviously rejecting what he had said.

"Idiot!!" Hinata heard Sakura yell.

_They look good together,_ Hinata thought sadly.

She was, however, soon knocked out of her reverie.

"Hinataaaaa!!" A girl squealed as she pounced on Hinata, who caught a glimpse of red hair.

"Hi Karin," she greeted her best friend as she pushed Karin gently off.

Karin straightened up and pushed her glasses back up her nose. "Drooling after Naruto again?" she teased. Sympathetically, she patted Hinata's shoulder. "Sakura is so greedy," she complained. "She took Naruto away from you yet is still going after Sasuke."

Hinata nodded. As nice as Sakura seemed to be during the few times she had talked to Hinata in Biology, Hinata still resented her.

That girl has everything. Looks, friends, self-esteem, everything.

A squeeze on her arm snapped Hinata out of her thoughts as Karin excitedly tugged Hinata's sleeve. "There it is!!" she gasped jubilantly.

The courtyard in front of the school is filled with students from every grade, eyes glued to the dark-red limousine that had pulled up in front of the looming gates.

The courtyard fell silent as the door opened with a click.

Out stepped a slender boy with delicate features, his black hair trimmed modestly short with no hint of gel.

"Uchiha Kagerou," Karin whispered breathlessly beside Hinata, who shook her head at her friend's obsession.

Kagerou looked around and smiled, black eyes lighting up in delight at the sight of his admirers. Unlike the other Uchiha who seemed stiff and formal, Kagerou is relaxed and irreverent. He enjoys joking with teachers and once even did a pirouette behind the principal. He made his way slowly through the crowd, returning smiles and waves, but is careful to keep people from touching him.

"Thanks for attracting so much attention, Kagerou," a flat voice lashed like a rock in a pond, silencing the crowd immediately.

"Much better," the voice continued, pleased by its effect on the crowd, as its owner stepped out of the limousine.

Uchiha Hotaru's eyes swept over the crowd, flickering with annoyance. Some girls slightly flinched as those black holes lingered upon them.

"Aw sis," Kagerou bounded over to his elder twin like a puppy. "They are already here, so might as well make them happy."

"As if I care," she retorted, flicking her bangs out of her face impatiently. Grabbing her younger brother by the hand, she dragged him through the crowd, pushing fangirls away roughly when they did not get out of the way in time.

"Hmph, bitch," Hinata heard Karin mumble bitterly and smiled reassuringly.

Karin squeezed Hinata's arm hard, ignoring the yelp. "Just because she is related to Kagerou and is a cousin of Sasuke's, she thinks she owns them."

Hinata did not speak. When Karin is in such a mood, it is better to keep quiet. Besides, she did agree with Karin. Hotaru's cold demeanour and air of self-confidence is a slap in the face for Hinata, who is the exact opposite.

"It is ok, Karin," Hinata tried to placate red-haired girl.

She didn't need to, as the last and final member stepped out of the car.

Uchiha Sasuke.

Unlike either Hotaru or Kagerou, Sasuke's face is calm and composed, revealing nothing. Nothing at all.

He walked through the crowd as if there is no one else in the courtyard.

"He is so cool!!" Karin squealed, followed by the rest of the girls in the crowd. The squealing quickly turned into screaming.

Hinata winced as she covered her ears.

She risked a glance at Sasuke, who continued towards his two cousins as if nothing is happening. Hinata turned her head slightly to look at the twins.

Kagerou was enjoying every minute of it, laughing and waving at Sasuke, while Hotaru, like Hinata, had her ears covered and was glaring at the crowd.

Hinata slightly yelped as Hotaru's eyes suddenly met hers, glaring. She stared back defiantly but shakily.

To her surprise, the obsidian eyes softened, and Hotaru smiled as she nodded to Hinata.

Hinata, bewildered, smiled weakly back.

_Hotaru can't be as bad Karin said she is, can she? _Hinata wondered.

* * *

"Sakura," a voice made the pink-haired girl look up from her locker. On seeing who it is, she quickly shifted her gaze and continued organizing her books.

"What do you want, Karin?" she kept her voice as even as she could.

Unaffected by Sakura's impassive tone, Karin bent down next to her.

"You are a Sasuke fan, and I am a Sasuke fan," she whispered, trailing her fingers over the air slots on Sakura's locker. "There is something interesting about Ino you might want to hear."

_Slam._

Sakura closed her locker loudly, and the sound resonated throughout the hallway, making passerbys stare. "What are you planning?" she demanded.

Karin smiled innocently. "What are you talking about? The news does not only concern Ino, but Hinata as well."

"The Hyuuga?" Sakura asked in spite of herself. "What does she has to do with Uchiha?"

"Oh, everything, believe me," Karin examined her nails, pleased. "Trust me."

* * *

Hinata sighed as she placed her books on a table in the biology lab. She glanced at the clock. Five more minutes.

Yawning, she placed her head down on the table. A nap wouldn't hurt. She had spent nearly the entire night trying to memorize Latin terms, and is very tired.

_Just five minutes,_ she thought, as she closed her eyes.

* * *

_Splash._

The shock of cold water made Hinata jump up from where she was sitting. She looked down in disbelief at herself and her ruined uniform.

Around her, the students bursted out laughing.

Except for two people.

Karin, sitting beside Hinata, squeezed her friend's arm sympathetically.

Hinata looked around, trying to find out who did that to her. Her eyes landed on Sakura, whose eyes met hers distractedly, then quickly flickered away.

Surprised at the sudden anger, Hinata clenched her fists.

"Sakura," her voice was quiet yet hard. "Did you--?"

Her accusation is interrupted as the door slammed open. "What is going on?"

Yuuhi Kurenai stopped in her tracks as she noticed Hinata standing in front of her table, water dripping down from her clothes and forming a puddle on the floor.

"Hyuuga Hinata," she said, slightly concerned that she comes in everyday and nearly always finds Hinata as the victim of a prank. "You are excused. Go dry yourself and come back."

"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata bowed, and then rushed out the door.

She failed to notice the smirk on a student's face.

As she ran towards the nearest washroom, her mind was in turmoil. _Sakura, did Sakura do this?_ She thought. _Why? I thought you, at least, did not care that I am a Hyuuga._

As she ran with her head bowed, she did not notice a certain Uchiha walking past her, eyebrows slightly raised at her predicament…

* * *

"Hey!! Sasuke!!"

Sasuke sighed as he rolled down the window, ignoring the rain that splattered into the car.

"What do you want, Naruto?"

Grinning and ignoring Sasuke's apparent bad mood, Naruto yanked open the door and climbed in, squeezing himself between Hotaru and Kagerou. "Gonna catch a ride with you guys today, it is raining cats and dogs."

He shook his hair, spraying water across the car.

"Watch it," Hotaru warned, a ghost of a smile grazed her lips. Kagerou laughed as droplets of water landed on his face.

Sighing again, Sasuke gestured to their driver. "Let's go, Matsuda, stop by Naruto's house first."

"Yes, Sasuke-sama."

The engine roared to life.

"I still wonder how Sasuke puts up with you when his patience with his own cousins is clearly less," Kagerou joked as they pulled out of the school grounds.

"Sooner or later the idiot is going to die," Sasuke replied before Naruto could. "Next time, stick my katana in his seat, sharp end up."

Kagerou chuckled.

"Hey, isn't that Hinata?" Naruto suddenly pointed to a bus stop. The purple-haired girl had her head down as she waited for the bus.

"Hinata," repeated Kagerou. "Isn't she a Hyuuga?" Dislike slightly coloured his tone.

Naruto sighed, exasperated. "So what if she is a Hyuuga? What is it between Hyuuga and Uchiha anyways?"

His question went unheeded as Kagerou put a finger to his lips and pointed to the back of Sasuke.

"Eh? There is another Hyuuga besides Neji?" Hotaru said in disbelief. "I thought one is enough." She spared a glance at Sasuke.

To her surprise, she noticed a slight frown on Sasuke's face as he stared into space. "Sasuke?" she inquired.

"She seems…" Sasuke fell silent without finishing his sentence.

Naruto sat back in his seat after leaning forward to hear. "Depressed," he finished for Sasuke, knowing that the Uchiha is not the type to express his thoughts.

Stiffly, Sasuke gave a slight nod. "I saw her earlier today. She was all wet, yet I don't think people swim in the middle of September wearing their uniforms.

Kagerou chuckled. "Seems that Sasuke-_sama _is not made of stone after all."

"You mean that someone played a trick on her _again_?" Naruto exclaimed, repulsed. He punched the back of the seat in front of him.

The limousine suddenly swirled to the left, narrowly missing a pedestrian.

"Sorry sir," Naruto apologized to the shaken driver whose seat he had punched.

Letting out the breath he had being holding, Kagerou dragged Naruto back by the collar. "Sit down properly, will you?"

Wincing as he adjusted his collar, Naruto looked around the car. The twins on either side of him are staring silently out the window, while Sasuke has his back to him and is fiddling with a pen, its gold filigree glittered in the streetlight.

"Well?" Naruto began, breaking the silence.

The rain continued to platter on the roof as the limousine pulled up in front of Naruto's house.

Three pairs of smouldering black eyes turned on him.

"Well what?"

Gulping uneasily, Naruto felt himself shrinking as their gaze never left his face. "Aren't you going to do anything about it? It is your school."

Kagerou let out a snort as Sasuke turned back to the front, disinterested.

"We do not involve ourselves with affairs concerning Hyuuga," Hotaru informed Naruto, as neither of the other two Uchiha bothered. "Besides, such things happen in every school."

"But you guys are so popular!!" Naruto tried again. "Your word is law in this school, you can order them to stop."

"And cause Hinata more trouble by making her the centre of attention?" Hotaru responded evenly. "Think about it thoroughly, Naruto. We can't muzzle the whole school. Once our backs are turned, who knows what those radicals will do to the poor girl."

Kagerou came in then, supporting his sister. "You can probably guess the consequences if we gave more attention to one person over _another_."

Sasuke remained silent.

"Have you ever wondered that it may be because of the Uchiha that she is suffering, since she is a Hyuuga?" Naruto's voice rose slightly. "Shouldn't you feel at least somewhat responsible for her situation?"

"Wow Naruto, you are actually serious for once," Kagerou joked, trying to divert the subject.

"Perhaps you have not considered that it may be her own vulnerability that attracts bullies?" Hotaru yanked the subject back, ignoring her brother.

Naruto glared at her. "Not everyone is like you , Hotaru." He leaned over Kagerou and opened the door, and then paused. "There _are_ people in this world who are less fortunate than the Uchiha," Naruto's voice was soft yet strangely clear as lightning illuminated his face.

Rain swept into the car, dampening the clothes of its riders.

_Snap._

The sound made Naruto slightly jump.

_Snap._

Sasuke let the broken pieces of filigree fall from his fingers. "Close the door, Naruto," he said, as another bout of wind sent a new shower into the car.

"We'll see what we can do."

* * *

A/N: lalala!! Second chapter!! I was going to update yesterday, but I am only allowed one hour and a half on the computer everyday, which isn't nearly enough to word-process and edit chapters. Updates will probably be rare once school starts, so I am doing all that I can right now.

Please Review. XD

And about my OCs. I needed some characters to compliment the story, yet Itachi and Sasuke don't fit the roles. Their personalities is just too...cold, so I had to create my own characters.


	3. Starlit Night

* * *

_Starlit Night_

* * *

"_Black. Vengeance. Darkness. Grief. The colour of night prowlers, of vampires and werewolves. A rebellious teen, yet conservative and loyal."_

_- Rain God's Veils, the novel._

* * *

The blade of a katana whizzed through the air, dispersing drops of water. The rain continued to pummel down ceaselessly, yet none landed on the sword-wielder.

With one final, quick, thrust, the blade, accompanied by the soft whisper of metal, swept in one smooth arc at a nearby bush.

The figure stayed in its position, finally letting the rain land on him as a few leaves from the bush came loose, fluttering into the black night.

Shaking his head, the figure sheathed the katana and went inside the house.

* * *

Stepping through the back door, Sasuke carefully placed the katana on a rack near the door and joined his cousins at the dinner table.

"Where is Sakura?" he asked as he poured himself a cup of water.

"In her room," Kagerou said with a shrug, snatching the cup out of Sasuke's hands and draining the contents.

"She is not feeling well," Hotaru added, frowning over her history textbook as she ate.

Sasuke nodded as he filled another cup, ignoring what Kagerou just did.

All three of them knew that Sakura had not been feeling well ever since word had gotten around the school that she has been hired by them.

"I still wonder who told everyone," Kagerou murmured after managing to swallow a spoonful of fried rice. "Those weeks before summer break must have been hell for her."

Hotaru slammed her book closed. "Which is why I am strongly against helping this…Hyuuga," she said, not bothering to use Hinata's first name.

She leaned back in her chair as she watched them eat. "It is safe to say that the same things will happen to her, especially since she seems so much more vulnerable than Sakura. We don't want to end up making things worse."

She looked at Sasuke triumphantly, assured that she has won the argument.

Sasuke, however, kept on eating as if nothing is going on. "Don't look at me," Sasuke said flatly, picking at the rice. "I mainly agreed to help in order to make Naruto close the door. My clothes were getting wet, and it is not a pleasant feeling."

Hotaru banged her head on the table. "You mean you just…said that to shut him up?" she moaned. "Now what are we going to do?"

Sympathetically, Kagerou patted his sister's back, but winked at Sasuke at the same time.

Unfortunately, Hotaru already knows what he did.

They are twins, after all.

"Are you on my side or _his_?" she jabbed a finger into Kagerou's face.

A smile tugged at the corner of Sasuke's mouth as he observed the antics of his cousins, a year younger. They make life so much more interesting.

The three of them shared a mansion outside of the city of Konoha after other, older clan members moved to Tokyo in pursuit of economic investment. Situated in the middle of a small meadow, it is bordered in the north by forested mountains, in the east by rolling hills, in the west by the suburbs of Konoha, and in the south by a sheer cliff that drops to the beach.

After Kagerou _nearly_ flattened the house with a lawn mower and after Hotaru _actually_ burned down the kitchen, Sasuke decided to hire Ino and Sakura, the former to tend the gardens and the latter moving in to feed them.

"So how do we live up to the promise _you _have made?" Hotaru's accusing voice snapped Sasuke out of his thoughts.

"Actually, I _have _been giving some thoughts to this, while outside," Sasuke said evenly, slicing a ham.

Kagerou nodded, dragging Hotaru back into her seat. He motioned for Sasuke to continue.

"We could try to switch into her classes," Sasuke continued. "People tend to behave themselves while around us."

"Good idea," Hotaru replied sarcastically. "It will be torture on our part. And I think that you have forgotten that we are a year younger."

Sasuke shrugged. "Just skip the grade," he suggested, yawning. "The elders have already stuffed the entire highschool curriculum into our heads. The reason they make us stay in school is to keep a leash on us while they decide what to do with us. Besides, you two have always wanted to graduate early to escape from...the fandom."

Kagerou glanced at Sasuke. "From what_ I_ have heard, _you_ are going to take over the corporation as soon you graduate." He closed his eyes. "It is nice to have parents."

"Let's just…leave that topic for now," Sasuke said, shaking his head. He did not enjoy the prospect of running a large company, yet he did not want to show that in front of his cousins, who are clearly less favoured than he is.

"We have more pressing problems at hand," he quickly refocused the topic. "Switching into the Hyuuga's classes will work to some extent, yet how do we persuade the secretaries into showing us her schedule?"

Kagerou suddenly smiled, flashing his teeth. "Leave that to me," he said, keeping his voice low and seductive as he winked flirtatiously at his sister.

"You don't want to dazzle them," Hotaru warned, pushing back her chair as she stood up. "The principal will skin us alive, Uchiha or not."

Sasuke nodded, pleased that the conversation worked out in his favour, keeping a lid on Naruto without making his cousins flip.

"Oh, and Sasuke," Hotaru looked at him in the eyes. "You own us for going along with this."

Sasuke closed his eyes. "Of course," he smirked.

His father would have praised him for being able to compromise and please both sides.

Now he just has to persuade his parents not to begin teaching them university courses.

They have enough on their minds.

* * *

Sakura had her head down on her light-green desk as she stared blankly out the window at the silhouettes of three cherry trees.

"It was Hinata," Karin's voice echoed in her head, over and over.

"Hinata."

Who would have guessed that such a multi-faced monster hides itself beneath the innocent exterior?

Not everyone is what they say they are, that is for sure.

Sakura, she could never trust anyone, ever again.

* * *

"Hinataaa!!"

Hinata held the phone slightly away from her ears, wincing. "What is it, Karin?" she said as impassively as she could, sighing as she pushed away her half-finished essay.

"Sasuke-kun talked to me!!"

"That is nice, Karin," Hinata sighed again. She took out a stick and a paper knife. Carefully, she made a notch in the bark.

"How many times is that?" Karin asked impatiently.

"Twice this school year," Hinata replied quietly, running a finger over the two notches.

"Oh," a disappointed voice said.

"What did he say to you?" Hinata pressed gently, trying to uplift the mood.

Karin immediately brightened. "He asked me where the closest emergency exit is."

Hinata fought back a giggle. "Is he trying to escape from fangirls, again?"

"Of course," Karin said, perplexity evident in her voice. "Sakura among them, as usual. And I still don't get why Sasuke hired _her,_ of all people. Hmph, probaly because she is friends with Hotaru. No wonder. Both of them are bit-- I mean—_I_ could do a better job without clinging to him all the time."

"_Right_, Karin, right," Hinata teased. "Sure you can."

"I can!!" the voice protested.

Standing up, Hinata went to sit by her window. "Say, Karin?"

"Yes?"

"Isn't the Mid-Autumn Festival coming up?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah," Karin's voice cracked over the phone. "It is a boy's choice, so I can't ask Sasuke," she said forlornly.

Hinata smiled. She thought about the kind of situation Sasuke would be in if nearly every girl in the school _lined up_ to ask him the same question.

"Let me guess," Karin interrupted Hinata's musings. "You won't be coming?"

Hinata smiled at how well Karin knows her. "What is the theme this time?"

"Japan," Karin answered. "It is too bad," her voice sounded sincere. "You would look really cute in a kimono, Hinata."

"Thanks," Hinata said, grateful for the compliment.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Karin said, realizing Hinata's lack of interest.

"Bye."

Hinata hanged up, returning her gaze to the stack of paper on her desk.

_Tomorrow,_ she thought. _I wonder if anything will be different tomorrow._

* * *

"The Uchiha are becoming too prominent," a figure, bathed in the dying light of a flickering light bulb, said to his audience.

"Indeed," the other three people nodded.

The figure shifted in his chair, tapping his cane. "We have to get rid of them."

One of his audiences stiffened at the prospect. "Getting rid of as in….?"

The figure took out a knife and made the motion of slitting his throat.

"Preposterous," his audience, shocked, rebuked the proposal. "We cannot harm our own citizens, whom we had sworn to protect."

"Japan will be thrown back into a monarchy if such drastic measures are not taken," the figure said sharply. "We have to protect its democracy by eliminating the people who grasps its entire economy, who will eventually grasp its politics. Anyways, the investments established by our own ancestors are threatened by the Uchiha's existence as well."

Knowing that what he said is true, his audience fell silent.

The figure glanced around, triumphantly. "With the fall of Uchiha, the Hyuuga will come under suspicion," he ran his hands over his cane. "With one stone, we kill both birds."

"How do you suppose we kill all Uchiha at the same time?" An elderly man pointed out. "As far as I know, they are spread all over Tokyo, with a few near Konoha. If we kill one household before another, word will get around and the others will hire bodyguards. Besides, where are we going to find so many assassins? It is also safe to assume that, as descendants of samurai, they must all know some form of martial arts."

"Your concerns are of no accord," the figure smiled sinisterly. He held up a package and opened it slowly, exhibiting the contents.

Carefully wrapped in black silk is a fine white powder, glimmering unnaturally.

"Poison?" his audience inquired.

The figure nodded. "No smell, no taste. Just a pinch disables a person long enough for them to be finished off. Even if they are not killed, the poison puts them into a vegetative state, unlikely to be awakened."

"Which means that we hire only one assassin to both spread the poison and to—" he slammed his hands onto his cane.

"There is one problem, however," the elderly man, who is the most even-headed of the four, pointed out. "The Uchiha meet at least once a year, during the winter solstice. That will be a perfect time. _But_," he held up an index finger. "The grounds are heavily guarded, and only Uchiha members are allowed in and _only_ by having their blood tested."

"Oh, so we just have to a hire an Uchiha with exceptional sword skills to kill his entire family, simple," another man said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "It is out of question. In other words, it is impossible. The Uchiha are remarkably loyal. The plan will not work."

"Actually, it will," an elderly female, the only member that has not yet spoken, interrupted.

"Oh?" challenged the two men.

The female member nodded. "The Uchiha I have in mind has been plagued by the Sharingan Syndrome for a long time, and will be easy to manipulate."

"And his name?"

The four of them stood up, ready to leave.

"Uchiha Itachi."

* * *

A/N: I guess this chapter is kind of Uchiha-centric…If you don't like OCs, please bear with me. I have the same plans for all my OCs in all my stories…hehehe…

Please review.

**Original Character Names**….lalala

Hotaru and Kagerou are twins, so naturally I chose names that match each other. Their names mean "firefly," and "dragonfly," respectively. Interestingly, when you take the "ho" from "Hotaru" and the "kage" from "Kagerou," you get "Hokage." O.o Eerie, isn't it? I didn't do that on purpose…O.o


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